How Can I receive God's salvation for my life?

1. Admit that God has not been first place in your life and ask him to forgive your sins. The Bible says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from every wrong: (1 John 1:9)

2. Believe that Jesus died to pay for your sins and that He rose again on Easter, and is alive today. The Bible says, "If you confess that Jesus is Lord, and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9) and "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name (Jesus) by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

3. Accept God's free gift of salvation. Don't try to earn it. The Bible says, "For it is by grace you are saved, through faith - and this not from yourself, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9). Our relationship to God is not restored by anything we do, but on the basis of what Jesus already did for us.

4. Invite Jesus Christ to come into your life and be the Lord, boss, of your life. The Bible says, "To all who receive Him, He gives the right to become children of God. All we need to do is to trust Him to save us. All those who believe this are reborn! -- Not a physical rebirth...but from the will of God!" (John 1:12,13) and Jesus says, "Listen! I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in..." (Revelation 3:20).

Ask for God's salvation through a simple prayer of commitment to God:

"Dear Jesus, Thank You for making me and loving me, even when I've ignored You and gone my own way. I realize I need You in my life and I'm sorry for my sins. I ask You to forgive me. Thank You for dying on the cross for me. Please help me to understand it more. As much as I know how, I want to follow You from now on. Please come into my life and make me a new person inside. I accept Your gift of salvation. Please help me to grow as a Christian."

After you pray this prayer, please get in contact with someone who can help guide you on the path of your new life! We will be happy to help, and welcome you to the family! You can reach us at 241-9557 or any of the e-mail addresses on the info page.

COMMON QUESTIONS:

I'm from another Faith but I like coming to ABC. Can I continue to come without becoming a member?

Yes, you can. Feel free to participate in as many activities of the church as you would like.

I desire to serve God at ABC but I'm not really sure how to get started, can you help me?

Yes, I can. First, you will discover your unique design (S.H.A.P.E.) for ministry and commit to developing and using your God-given gifts and abilities in serving God and others through your church family. Second, That you will select and begin serving in the ministry of your church that best expresses what God made you to be.  This is just one tool that we will use to help you to determine your ministry. S.H.A.P.E.:

Spiritual Gift: "Each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that." 1 Corinthians 7:7b answers the question: What am I gifted to do?

Heart: "God has put it into their hearts to accomplish His purposes..." Revelation 17:7 and "For it is God who work in you, inspiring both the will and the deed, for His own chosen purpose!" Philippians 2:13 answers the question: What do I love doing?

Abilities: "There are different abilities to perform services..." 1 Corinthians 12:6 and "I (God) ...have given him skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts..." Exodus 31:3 and "...our competence comes from God." 2 Corinthians 3:5b answers the question: What natural talents and skills do I have?

Personality: "No one can really know what anyone else is thinking or what he is really like, except that person himself." 1 Corinthians 2:11 answers the question: Where does my personality best suit me to serve?

Experiences: What spiritual experiences have I had? "There has been enough time for you to be teachers --BUT you still need to be taught...(you are) without any experience in the matter of right and wrong." Hebrews 5:12, 13. What painful experiences have I had? "Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways." Proverbs 20:30 and "God helps us in our troubles, so we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God." 2 Corinthians 1:4. What educational experiences have I had? "Always remember what you have learned. Your education is your life--guard it well." Proverbs 4:13. What ministry experiences have I had? "Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel..." 2 Corinthians 9:13.

Your ministry will be most effective and fulfilling when you are using your GIFTS and ABILITIES in the area of your HEARTS DESIRE in a way that best expresses your PERSONALITY and EXPERIENCES!